Fire escape



Nov. 13, 1934. J. H. PARsoN s FIRE ESCAPE Filed Feb. 15, 1933 2Sheets-Sheet, l

1934- J. H. PARSONS FIRE ESCAPE Filed Feb. 15, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet, 2

Patented Nov. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE FIRE ESCAPE John H.Parsons, Ridley Park, Pa. Application February 13, 1933, Serial No.656,454

2 Claims. (01. 228-44) My invention'relates to new and usefulimprovements in a fire escape, and particularly a folding ladder ofunique design for use in cases of emergency in contradistinction to fireescapes that are in position for use atany and all times as a ladderorstairs. The present device may be permanently installed on the outsideof a building, but when not in use is to be folded up or it may belocated in a room or compartment so as to 0 be projected through an openwindow and hung on to the windowsill or other suitable place andpermitted to automatically unfold when necessary ordesirable to make usethereof.

An-object of the invention is to so construct a folding ladder that thesections thereof will automatically unfold upon release 'of a suitableholding means. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a sectional foldableladder in which the sections fold upon one'another in a zig-zag fashionso that when in a folded condition the connections between adjacentsections are alternately at the top and bottom of the structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a folding ladderstructure, particularly for use as a fire escape, wherein the center ofgravity of the sections is beyond or outside of the points of connectionof the sections with one another so that all of the sections willautomatically unfold upon release of a holding device. I

Another object of the invention is to construct the parts of the ladderin a manner that when the structure is folded, it may be placed in astanding position upon a floor or other supporting surface withoutthe'probability of the structure falling over.

Another object of the invention is to provide certain of the laddersections with stops whereby adjacent sections will be'brought to rest intheir relative endwise locations to prevent the sections from swingingpast an approximately vertical line during the opening movements.

Another object of the invention is. to provide adjustable hangers,preferably in the form of hooks, so that the structure may beaccommodated to window sills or other supporting devices of varyingthicknesses and shapes.

Another object of the invention is to provide feet on the severalsections which will engage the surface of a wall or other structure forspacing the sections from the surface against which the ladder rests toprovide the necessary toe room for a person using the ladder. By toeroom is meant a space into which the toe'of a persons foot projects whenthe ball or other part of the foot is resting upon a rung.

A further object of the invention is toprovidea simple and effectiveholding device or means for maintaining the ladder in a foldedcondition.

A still further object of the invention is to pro vide a tubular rungwhich will be light in weight relative to its strength or capability ofsupporting considerable weight.

One of the advantages of the structure is that it is light in weight andmay be easily lifted, transported and placed in position for use bypersons of ordinary strength.

With these and other ends in View, this invention consists in thedetails of construction and combination of elements hereinafter setforth and then specifically designated'by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describeits construction in detail, referring by numerals to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this application in which:--

'Fig. l is a side elevation of a fire escape constructed in accordancewith my invention and shown folded.

Fig. 2 is a view of the same, looking at what may be termed the frontthereof or edgewise of the sides of the ladder sections with portions 8broken'away. 5

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 6. Fig. 4 is a sideelevation, on a reduced scale,

of the fire escape as it would appear in position for use.

Fig. 5 is a top end view of one side of the folded ladder.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary and broken view of the fire'escapesimilar to the illustration in Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 1, in a reversed positionillustrating how the folded structure can stand up.

In carrying out my invention as herein embodied, 10 represents the uppersection of the fire escape ladder when the device is considered as in anextended or operative condition as shown in Fig. 2, and said sectionincludes a pair of side rails 11, preferably formed of thin narrowstrips of metal provided at their upper ends with angular or obliquearms 12 which extend outwardly beyond the ends of the side rails.

Said arms form parts of the suspension means or hangers for the fireescape and each arm has a series of holes 13 therein to receive suitablefastening devices, such as bolts 14, the latter being projected throughsome of the holes and through the shank portions of the hooks 15 andsaid hooks may be held in their adjusted positions by nuts 16 threadedon to the bolts 14, it being understood that said hooks have holes 13a.similar to those in the arms and spaced so that they may register withdifferent ones of the holes in the arms.

The lower ends of the rails 11 are provided with angular or oblique.feet 17 which wherever possible will contact with the surface of thewall of a building or other object against which the fire escape mayhave to rest.

In the side rails 11 are supported a number of rungs 18 which arepreferably formed from sections of suitable tubing with their endsprojected into suitable spaced holes 19 in said side rails.

To the lower end of the upper ladder section 10 or to the end providedwith the feet 16 is connected one end of another ladder section 20.

Said second ladder section 20 includes a pair of side rails 21, one endof each of which is hingedly or pivotally connected to the laddersection 10, preferably by journalling the ends of the ladder sectionrails 21 on one of the rungs of the ladder section 10 and in so doingthe parts are arranged with the center of gravity of the ladder section20 on" the center of its hinge or pivot line. To accomplish this, I haveshown by way of illustration offset portions 22 at the ends of theladder section 20 which connect with the ladder section 10, andtherefore if the two sections are in a substantially vertical positionand there is nothing to hold the section 20, said section willautomatically unfold or swing outward from the section 10 to accomplishthe purpose of the invention.

At the ends of the side rails 21 opposite the offsets 22, said rails areprovided with oblique feet 23 similar to the feet 17, but slightlyshorter in length because when the ladder is in an open condition asshown in Fig. 2, the section 20 will be out of endwise alignment withthe section 10.

Like the section 10, the said section 20 is provided with tubular rungs18 supported in the side rails.

In order to prevent the section 20 of the lad der from swinging past anapproximately vertical line in the extended condition of the ladder, Iprovide the adjacent ends of the two sections with cooperating parts,and for purposes of illustration I have shown the section 20 as havingstops 24 of any suitable formation carried by the side rails 21, eitherformed integral therewith or secured thereto, for coaction with anysuitable parts of the section 10 when the two sections are in relativeendwise locations, and by way of illustration I have shown the stops 24as coacting with the contiguous edges of the feet 17, all of which willbe apparent by reference to Figs. 4 and 6.

To the end of the ladder section 20, having the feet 23 thereon, ishinged, pivoted or swingingly connected another ladder section 25 whichlike the other sections includes a pair of side rails 26 for supportingthe tubular rungs identical with the ones previously described andtherefore designated by the numeral 18. Where the ladder section 25 isconnected to the section 20, the ends of the side rails are providedwith offset portions 2'? in order that the center of gravity of thesection 25 shall be outside of or beyond the center of the pivot points.The ends of the side rails 26 opposite the offset portions orprojections 27 are provided with oblique feet 28 for the same purpose asthe others heretofore set forth.

The ends of the rails 26 adjacent the offset portions or projections 27extend beyond said projections, or the points of connection between thesections 25 and 20, and constitute extensions 29 on which are formedstops 30 to engage some suitable part of the section 20, as the frontedges of the rails 21, to assist in maintaining adjacent sections intheir relative endwise positions when the fire escape is opened orextended as in Fig. 4.

Any number of these ladder sections may be connected together so as tofold up in zig-zag fashion as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 7, and in orderto further illustrate the idea, I have shown another ladder section 31which is pivoted at one end to the end of the section 25 having the feet28. Many of these sections are duplicates of one another and in actualpractice I believe that all except the upper section 10 the alter nateones of the others should be duplicates. The section 31, in particular,is a duplicate of section 20 and therefore the different elements aredesignated by the same numerals.

The angles of the feet 23 are such that when the folded structure isinverted and set upon a surface, such as a floor, said structure can besupported in an upright position on the feet 23 and the arms 12 or thehooks 15 carried by the latter, without the probability of the deviceaccidentally falling due to jarring or when a person brushes against thesame while passing.

Whereven or if found desirable, washers 32 may be placed betweenadjacent side rails of the connected sections.

In order-to hold the structure ina folded position as shown in Figs. 1,2 and '7, a suitable fastening means may be used and for convenience ofillustration, I have shown a catch 33 pivoted on one of the rungs of oneof the sections, it preferably being on a rung of the section which isthe lowermost one when the ladder is extended so that when the structureis folded, the nose of I the catch will engage and ride over the toprung of the upper section 10 and which may be readily disengaged whennecessary or desirable.

Where the fire escape is-to be permanently fastened to a. building bymeans of the upper section 10, it is unnecessary to pass the samethrough a window incase of emergency, but where the fire escape ismaintained within a building, the folded structure as shown in Fig. 1 isprojected through a window and the hooks 15 caused to engage the windowsill or other appropriate part of the building wall. The hooks 1.5 beingadjustable on the arms 12, they may be adjusted to fit the size of thewindow sill before the time the fire escape may be needed for emergencypurposes.

Assuming the folded structure to be on the outside of a building andsupported in or near a window or other exit, as soon asthe catch 33 isdisengaged the ladder sections will begin to unfold due to the center ofgravity of the several sections being outside of or beyond the lines oftheir hinged or pivotal connection with adjacent sections.

Because of the zig-zag folding arrangement of the sections, all of thesections will begin to open at onetime, first actually moving away fromthe wall of the building and then swinging back toward or against thesame and this action will prevent any of the'sections becoming entangledin vines, trellises or the like, located on the wall of the building andwhich might otherwise interfere with the proper actuation of the fireescape. Also due to the zig-zag arrangement of folding the structure itcannot be folded up incorrectly, thereby positively insuring properassemblage of the parts when in condition for storage or when notactually in use.

As the fire escape unfolds, the stops 24 on section 29 will engage somepart of the section 10, as for instance, the feet 1'7, thereby limitingthe inward movement of the section 20, and if the feet 23 of saidsection 20 fall in the location of a window in the building, thelimiting of the inward movement of the section 20 will prevent the feet23 from breaking the window panes which might permit flames to reach thelocality of the fire escape.

As soon as the next section 25 has reached its operative position, thestops 30 thereon will engage suitable parts of the section 20, as theforward edges of the side rails 21 thereof, in order to limit the arc ofthe swinging movement thereof. These stops will bring the section 26 torest in its relative endwise position with respect to the section 20,but it will be noted that the section 26 is limited in its swingingmotion reverse to that of the section 20. This arrangement of stopcontinues throughout the length of the fire escape so that alternatesections are arrested in their movements in a reverse direction to eachother.

While the fire escape may be made of any number of sections in suitableor desirable lengths, it would seem advisable that the fire escape bemade only to accommodate the height between two stories of a building.In other words, one fire escape will take care of the distance betweenthe second story and the ground, while another fire escape will functionbetween the third and second stories of a building, and so on for thenumber of stories or floors in the building. After the lower fire escapehas been placed in position for use, the one above can be released andits lower section can overlap the upper section of the fire escape belowit, thereby completing a fire escape from the uppermost floor to theground. If the occupants, or others, have the time or inclination, allof the fire escapes may be fastened or chained to one another and forthis purpose some fastening device, such as a chain, may be attached tothe several fire escapes. It will be noted that each succeeding lowersection of the fire escape is mounted inside of the preceding uppersection and therefore the narrowest section of an upper fire escape willreadily fit in between the side rails of the widest section of a lowerfire escape.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details ofconstruction herein shown and described as these may be varied withinthe limits of the appended claims without departing from the spirit ofmy invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and usefulis:

1. A fire escape comprising .a plurality of ladder sections includingside rails and rungs mounted therein, said sections pivotally connectedend to end by rotatably mounting the side rails of one section upon anend rung of the preceding section, said sections being foldable on oneanother in zig-zag fashion with the center of gravity of all but theuppermost section off the center of their pivot points, whereby saidsections will automatically swing outward for unfolding, adjustablesuspension means at the upper end of the uppermost section, feetprojecting inwardly from the lower ends of each section when consideredwith the ladder in an extended condition, stops carried by some of thesections and cooperating with adjacent sections to limit the openingmovements of the sections, and a catch carried by one section andcooperating with another section to maintain all of the sections intheir folded positions.

2. A fire escape comprising a plurality of ladder sections includingside rails and rungs mounted therein, said sections being pivo-tallyconnected end to end by rotatably mounting the side rails of one sectionupon an end rung of the preceding section, the siderails of eachsucceeding section being positioned inside of the side rails of eachpreceding section whereby said sections are foldable on one another inzig-zag fashion with the center of gravity of the sections off thecenter of their pivot points whereby said sections will automaticallyswing outward for unfolding, stops carried by certain of the sectionsfor cooperation with contiguous sections to limit the unfoldingmovements of the sections, and feet projecting inwardly from the lowerends of each section when considered with the ladder in an extendedcondition.

JOHN H. PARSONS.

